Digital channels and analog channels are provided to terminals, such as analog home communication terminals (AHCT) and digital home communication terminals (DHCT) via bandwidth limited communication channels like hybrid fiber coax (HFC) networks.
Analog channels are much more bandwidth consuming than digital channels. Nevertheless, cable operators are required to broadcast analog channels, as many end users have AHCTs only.
Digital television technology allows for exchanging information with end-users, such as end users that have a DHCT. Accordingly a variety of digital services, commonly referred to as interactive TV or enhanced TV, can be provided to an end user that has a DHCT.
Commonly, a single program must be broadcast in both an analog channel and a digital channel, for allowing its reception by AHCT and for providing digital services. This solution is bandwidth consuming, and limits the amount of services that can be provided to end users, in view of the limited bandwidth of existing cable networks such as HFC networks.
There is a need to provide a system and method for efficiently utilizing the bandwidth of cable systems.
There is a need to provide an efficient system and method for providing digital services to DHCT while providing programs to AHCTs.